The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-07-21
See oOmrade Taylor's adv. on page s.
RANDOM SHOTS.


A COmrade Tells Of Some Letters from the Boys.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: have receiv-
ed several letters from comrades who were
with Gen. A. J. Smiths command in the cam
paign from Memphis, Tenn, TO Little Rock,
Ark, and on 10 Cape Girardeau, Mo-, and 10
Little Blue, only seven miles from Kansas
City, Mo-, where we caught up with Gen. Ster-
ling Prices and Quantrel's rebel commands,
just in time after marching 43 miles in "a
hours We arrived at sunrise, TO find the
rebels had cut their way through Gems. Blount's
and PleasontOn' sCavalry and galloped OF, as they
were well mounted, on the evening Of Oct. %,
1864.
The cavalry chased them down below Fort
Scott into the Indian Territory. The rebels
left many of their comrades lying on the bloody
field, as also were many Of our own gallant
cavalrymen. That was a stubborn and dcsper-
ate, sharp struggle, in which the enemy got
away well whipped.
agree with Comrade Granville, 10th Mimi,
now living at Cedar Fails, Iowa, that il was
about as much as one could do TO look out for
himself when in an engagement like that at
Nashville. j am willing 10 snake hands with
him, AS he suggests, over our mistakes, and am
ready 10 stand corrected.
Comrade Fred. w. Fout, Of 300 Clark ave-
nue. St. Louis No. writes me and says that
the battery placed on the hill at Nashville,
Dec. l6. 10 support Gen. A. J. Smiths com
mand when they charged on the enemy on
/ Shyes Hin, was the 18th Ind, four guns, two
Immediately in rear and two TO our left, and
commanded by himself, First Lieutenant aud
Breyet Captain, aud was in the Twenty-third
! Corps. Comrade FOut says that he often meets
with Maj Gen. A. j. Smith, who now resides in
/ st. Louis, and says that the General never tires
in his praise Of the grand work of those bat
terry boys at Nashville on that day.
Gen. w. J.. McMlllen, who now lives az New
II ~ = a. l.
ment informed me that he borrowed the 18th
Ind. battery on that day from COUGHS Division,
Twenty-third Corps, TO support his brigade in
| that charge, and also that on the morning OF
! the 10th Gen. Couch's Division was placed Ia
the right and rear OF the Sixteenth Corps, in
support This will explain how the Sixteenth
Corps, or Gen. Smiths command was or was
not on the right Of the line that day. We were
in front, as our death-rOll will plainly indicate
| The line Of battle at Nashville was q long one
but We could very plainly hear the yells Of the
colored troops under the gallant and brave Gen
Steedman as they made charge on the ex-
treme left Of the line. Brave men; they knew
full well that there would be no quarter shown
them If they should be defeated and taker
prisoner. They are now entitled TO wear the
GAR badge and muster in our Posts, shoulder
10 shoulder, with us, as they went forward
with us during the war 10 meet the enemy
Good enough then; good enough now.
Comrade David l.. Phelps, Of Lutesville, Dol
linger Co., Mo-, says that he lives near our lin,
of march through Missouri, and that one Of on
old campgrounds is now a strawberry field
That was hard-looking country when W
went through il, tired and hungry, but W.
soon made our way TO Jackson and then 10 Cap
Girardeau where we marched along on a turn
pike making mile between two mile-b board
in il minutes. We were hungry and in goo,
fighting condition. and knew that there wer
plenty Of ratiOns at the river Comrade Phelp
says that those hills and swamps Of Missouri
are now cleared up and drained. Ohio ant
Indiana men, some of whom were in the army
have made that country one fit 10 live in
Lutesyille is near Marble Hills, known a
Dallas ia 1864 and 81 miles from Cape GiraI
! deau.-H. w. PHELPS, Lieutenant, 95th Ohio
MesterVille, o.